Dark Delicacies
by wintersilk
Summary: Light has caught the attention of a dangerous murderer, and L is determined to find him. But with tensions rising between the two rivals, matters are only bound to grow more complicated.
1. Nighttime Delicacies

**Dark Delicacies**

Chapter One: Nighttime Delicacies

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_A/N: Okay. So these past six months have been filled with projects, essays and school paper deadlines. But I can honestly say, I have finally finished my last stress-induced headache – woot! Then…an odd sensation hit me. I have time to actually __spare! Then, I was like, "Hey! Why not try doing something fun and attempt to write my first fanfic?" So here it is. My first fanfic! Dedicated to Death Note. Enjoy!_

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The computer keys clicked rapidly back and forth. It was an incessant, monotonous strum the way it carried on – more so after the minutes began ticking into hours on end. Light shifted back into his seat, crushing the hard plastic further into his back. It was the only rest he was going to get, being restricted in handcuffs and confined to a narrow chair.

"This is rather interesting."

Not bothering to crane his neck further than he had to, Light turned his eyes towards L's computer screen. Because at the angle he was sitting, Light couldn't distinguish the words on the screen, he waited for L to relay to him this "interesting" information.

"Would you like for me to share, Light-kun?" L succeeded in locking eyes with him.

Raito glared at L for a brief moment, before throwing back a curt response to spite him. "No."

As if his reply hadn't been relevant in the first place, L started anyways. "I take it you are familiar with the Wakayama Prefecture Murders?"

Light tilted his chin down and leaned forward. "What about it?"

"I was asked to take up the case four years ago with Interpol." L said, turning back to the screen. The glare from the monitor lit his face, casting pale shadows over his skin. He lifted his right hand, dragging the chain from the handcuffs along with it. "I never did," he said, pressing his thumb to his bottom lip.

"Yes, I have heard of it. Twelve people were have said to have been brutally murdered in that area. However, those murders were eventually traced by Public Security Intelligence Agency and they succeeded in catching the killer responsible," Light said, "Why bring up this matter suddenly?"

L turned towards Light. "I see that you are well-informed of the situation. As you know, Public Security Intelligence generally works to see its activities are not known to the public, so the Wakayama Murders were kept confidential – to protect their investigation from the public. What is interesting," L began, "Is similar murders are now beginning to take place here, in this very city."

"What makes you suspect the murders are connected?"

"Actually, I'm not at all convinced. In fact, there's only a .5 percent chance the disappearances could be connected at all. Only...Interpol is now requesting my help in the case. Earlier this morning, it was reported a woman disappeared after coming home from work two days ago. Her body was found outside a park. There is strong evidence this murder is connected with the disappearance and murder from three weeks ago, as well as the one from a few days back." He stopped. "You do know how these people were murdered, don't you?"

"I figure no differently from the Wakayama case – victims were typically found to be heavily drugged, assaulted and strangled."

"Correct."

"From what information we've gathered on Kira so far, he can control the actions of his victims," Light said, "If this is in fact Kira's doing, he could be telling these victims to set that exact stage of their death before being found."

"Considering the knowledge we have that Kira cannot make his victims kill others, and given the nature of these murders, I highly doubt it. No, I believe this is someone else's doing this time."

Light crossed his arms over his chest, watching the detective scour his thoughts over this new case. A feeling of opportunity caught hold of him then and he stood up. "I suppose your going to set aside the Kira case while taking up this newest one?"

"If you are inquiring about removing the handcuffs, that is out of question," L said, taking note of the twitch in the corner of Light's eye. "And as for setting aside any case, I have been known to handle multiple cases at once, so your concern isn't necessary, Light-kun."

Raito stepped forward violently, yanking the chain behind him. L stumbled to his feet, skidding the chair across the linoleum flooring, skewing it off balance and away from his workstation.

"I need some air," Light said. "I'm getting out of here."

However, L regained his stance. He held his arm firm and steady. The chain reached its limit of distance and the metal links tensed to a grinding halt. For a guy who spent his life in front of the screen of a computer and a tray of sweets, Light was surprised that L's strength quite evenly matched his own.

"There's work to done. And I don't have time for these inconveniences."

"I've spent the past week handcuffed to a meticulous ass, so don't you speak to me of inconveniences."

If there had been anyone else left in the room, the two would have been cut short and restrained, but it was well after dark, and Light and L had been left alone as usual. There would be no outside constraints from the others on the team. The tension was intensifying, and a number of things were bound to erupt between them.

"Don't test me, Light-kun. Your aversion towards me only heightens my suspicions against you."

"Then why don't you remove these cuffs and you and I will both be better off."

"I don't believe you were listening when I said my suspicions have already heightened against you."

"For the last time, I am not Kira!" Light flipped his wrist back, wrapped the chain around his fingers and pulled L towards him. He ran forward, throwing back a fist into L's face. It hit on contact and L teetered off balance, heading towards the ground. He caught himself backhanded on the floor and landed a kick directed for Light's jaw, but Light had seen it coming and shifted out of way's impact. L spun back, and the two stood their distance, breathing hard.

"I'm tired of these restrictions!" Light shouted, "And I'm sick of you!" He sped another full-front blow, and L took the hit.

When L made no further move to attack or defend himself, Light stood back, still winded with rage. He wiped the corner of his mouth from heated sweat as L stared back at him. There was no trace of anger in his eyes, no resentment. In fact, he seemed almost sad. It was strange how that one look could take away all the rage in him and for once, Light felt powerless to not stop. He lowered his arms.

At that moment, a cellphone rang. It was Light's. He checked the caller's ID. It read unknown. For some reason, he didn't answer. The ringing eventually died and Light pocketed the phone.

"I think we could both use a breather," Light spoke. He looked towards L, who hadn't moved since. "It couldn't hurt leaving that monitor for a few hours, you know."

L stepped forward, walking past Light to open the door. "Sometimes I'm forced to take extreme measures in my investigations, but they are effective," he said. "And I apologize, Light-kun."

It was a blow to his pride to be apologizing like this, and Light knew it. He kept his lips pressed together, unwilling to do the same. Silently, he walked out with L following close behind.

The air was cool that night, and the streets were bustling alive with city lights and nightlife. Cars swept around them while people, mainly young couples, trailed the sidewalks. A typical night in the city. Soon enough, Light could tell L didn't get out much. He was straggling behind, shoulders hunched, head bent, hands in his jeans. Light tried slowing down to L's pace, but he was dragging on so slow behind, people were staring. Of course, the other reason they might be staring was due to the six-foot chain connecting from his wrist to L's. A group of girls pointed at this and whispered. Light reddened and quickly, he found a pace to match L's. He lowered his voice, "Listen. Straighten up and walk with me. I feel like I'm walking a dog out here."

Light looked up. "Light-kun, you know I can't think as well any other way. I'm busy contemplating this latest case. And besides," L said with a smile, "You were the one who wanted to come out."

Raito narrowed his eyes. "Come on, they keep an all-night coffee shop open down this street," Light said, leading him down a turn, "Let's get something to eat. I haven't had a decent meal in days."

They entered a side shop that read "Koh-Hee-Ten" in burgundy characters printed on a near sign. The coffee shop was quaint, with dimmed-set lights and planted greenery in ornate ceramic pots. A glass bakery case was located towards the front. Light followed obediently as L led him towards it.

A lady across the counter greeted them with a warm smile and stood attentive behind the glass case. "May I help you?" she asked.

As a kid might have done, L had his palms pressed to the glass.

Light directed his attention towards the lady. "Sorry, give us a moment." He turned towards L, who was still inspecting the display of cakes and pastries. "Why don't you order first?"

"Hm?" L glanced up at the lady. "I'll have one of everything on this shelf here – and some coffee – with extra sugar."

"Of course," she replied politely. "And for you sir?"

"A soup and sandwich, please, with coffee. No sugar."

She left the display case to ring their prices.

Suddenly, L remembered something. "I didn't bring any money."

Light decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. "Don't worry about it," he told him, paying for both of them. "It was my idea to come here."

L tucked his hands in his pockets. "Thank you."

The two sat down, seated across from each other. The chain dangled under, clinging against the center stand of the table.

L was first to speak. "Who was that calling you earlier?"

"I don't know. Their number didn't register."

"I see." L raised a hand. "Hand me your phone."

Light did as he was told.

"I'll be holding on to this," L said, placing the cell away.

Light overlapped his arms across the table. "That's some thanks to someone who just bought you dinner."

"All other cellphones were gathered from the team," L stated. "Though I was aware you were still holding on to this one, I never felt it necessary to confiscate it until now."

"If you have to know, Misa insisted I have one so she could contact me in chance of an emergency. For all I know, that call could've been from her."

"Wait. Are you saying she gave you this phone?"

"Yes."

"Then…," L paused, dragging his knees to his chest. "If she is the only one you received calls from, assuming you haven't shared your number with anyone else I am not aware of, you should not be expecting any other calls on this line."

Light nodded.

"Very well. When we return to the lab, I'll run a trace on that call."

Light double-checked his watch. It was after midnight. "I take it you mean in the morning."

"No, after you and I are finished here, we will go directly back to the lab."

Light brushed a hand through his hair. "I don't know how you manage to focus on four hours of sleep a night, but this new schedule is starting to catch up to me."

A server walked towards the two of them to set down their meal. At least, what Light had to eat, he considered to be a meal. L's could be considered something different. Nevertheless, he ate to his full-hearted content. "It's good," L said, in-between bites. "There's the slightest hint of licorice." At that time, he was finishing his first bite of an orange glazed, vanilla cake.

"I don't believe anyone could be as adamantly addicted to sweets the way you are," Light mentioned. He threw his head back. "It's inspiring in a way."

L ignored the sarcastic remark. "You may try whatever you like," he offered.

The table was covered with an array of individual platters. Light leaned forward. He eyed a particular slice of cake. "What's that one?"

L glanced down. "That would be the raspberry-chocolate cheesecake. I haven't tried that one yet. Would you like a taste?"

"Sure."

Taking hold of his fork, L scooped away a corner of the cake. He held the fork to Light's lips. "Here. You first."

Light pulled away, finding the environment of the shop to be suddenly warm.

His eyes widened and L tilted his head to the side. "What's wrong?"

"…it's nothing."

L blinked. "I'm not sick," he stated matter-of-factly. "I realize that to be a common hindrance when two friends mean to share food."

Light cleared his throat and pressed his back into the chair. L could be so oblivious. He reached for the fork in L's hand and took it from him. "Thanks," he replied.

A smile touched the corners of L's mouth. "I think this might be the first time I've seen you eat cake!"

Light handed back the fork. "Knock yourself out."

"Is that it?" L sounded utterly astounded. "You can have more, if you wish."

"No, I'm done."

"I don't believe I've ever met anyone as adamantly adverse to sweets the way you are. That's a shame," L said cheerfully. "But that only means more cake for me."

Light shook his head. He was later stunned, but not surprised to see that L had devoured the entire tray of desserts he had ordered.

"Come, it's getting late Light-kun, and we still have work to do."

"That's right," Light said drudgingly, rising from the table. "I forgot."

"Don't worry. It shouldn't take longer than half-and-hour to get the information I need," L assured.

It was nearly two in the morning when they stepped back outside. The night was brisker, cooler, quieter. Stopping at the corner of a crossroad intersection, Light waited to walk across. A tall, street light lit the square of sidewalk nearest them. Suddenly, a cellphone began to ring.

L reached for what used to be Light's old phone. He studied the thin, illuminated screen covering the lid. The dial number read "unknown". He flipped open the phone and answered.

"Hello?"

"…_Is this Raito?"_

"I'm afraid he can't come to the phone right now. Who is this?"

There was a brief pause before the line disconnected.

L closed the phone. "I am now even more curious to trace this call."

"What did they say?" Light asked.

"They asked for you." L sent a glance his direction. Lost in thought, he took a step forward. "Then hung up–,"

"RYUUZAKI!"

A car was racing towards the crosswalk. The stoplights blared red, but the driver wasn't slowing and L was in the midst of walking straight into a collision. Acting on instinct alone, Light yanked the handcuffs sharply back. The abrupt shock from the pull knocked L off his feet as the car sped blindly past the intersection. They were both left shaken, gasping from the short-lived adrenaline rush.

Lying on the asphalt, L pushed himself upright. "I would have never thought these handcuffs would've ended up working out this way."

"That act had better clear my name from any of your suspicions," Light said, "Because I don't believe the real Kira would've tried so hard to save your life just then."

"Maybe," L replied. "Or perhaps then wasn't the time Kira wanted, and Kira wants to kill me himself at a later time."

Light sighed, "Whatever."

The rest of the walk back was silent.


	2. Sweet Delicacies

**Dark Delicacies**

Chapter Two: Sweet Delicacies

Light was steadily drifting out of consciousness. He would have gladly welcomed this sleep if it weren't for L snapping at his attention every ten minutes.

"This is unusual," L said, eyes scanning his monitor. He clasped hold of Light's cell between the tips of his fingers, typing in sequences to run the needed code traces and linking the various numbers to his computer. "Both were toll-free numbers, dialed from two separate locations. If you look at this map here on the screen, you can see your number was dialed from these locations: a park and outside a shopping center. Both are in fairly empty areas at this time of night." He broke away from the screen to glance over at Light. "Whoever is attempting to contact you is taking extreme measures to do so secretly and privately. Therefore, the next course of action I suggest we take is to bring Misa into this. What time is it?"

"Uh…," Raito blearily checked his watch, angling the glass towards the only light coming from the monitor. "After three."

L tossed the cell in Light's direction. Only by reflex did Light manage to catch it.

"Call her."

As if on impulse, Light flipped open the phone, but stopped short and closed it. "I doubt she'll be awake to pick up."

"I believe she will answer if it's from you."

"What do you want me to do?" Light asked. "Interrogate her right now over the phone?"

"No. Ask her to meet up with you someplace where we can talk. The last thing I want is for this call to be tapped."

Light set the phone on the desk. "I'll call in the morning."

"Why?"

"Because," Light began, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to keep his countenance steady. He shook his head and shot a glare directed at L. "Normal people don't call other people at three a.m. to setup a date."

"Then don't make it a date. Quite honestly, Light-kun, I'm surprised you're not taking this matter more seriously."

L just wasn't going to rest, and despite being sleep-depraved, Light refused to play the weakest link in this clash between rivals. Gritting his teeth, he leaned forward and grabbed hold of the cell.

"Hold on," L said, "Hand me your phone again."

Light did as he was told and at once, L broke back the outer casing of the cell. He grabbed some separate wires and parts from a drawer and began meddling with the inner workings of the phone. Light watched him.

"A few watt resistors and ceramic capacitors," L told him as Light listened. He sped through the process and clamped shut the cell casing. "This way, your cell phone cannot be tapped. But just to be sure, I want the call brief as possible until we all can meet later."

Light rubbed his temple as the line began to ring. Currently his mind was on other matters, such as, was L trying to make him crack from these sleepless nights? Maybe if he slipped L a heavy sedative in his cake, then he could get a decent rest. The phone picked up.

_"…Light-kun?!"_

"Misa, this is an emergency. I need to see you."

_"Of course! Misa's Raito is always welcome to visit." _

"I realize it's late and this is short-notice. I'll make it up to you. Can you tell me where you're staying?"

_"At the Shizuoka. I'll have someone come down to the lobby to meet you…and Light-kun, you and Misa better have a proper date soon! Now…just give Misa at least twenty minutes. I'll be ready for you."_

Light disconnected the line. "We better get going," he said, handing the phone back to L, "The Shizuoka's at least an hour's way from here."

"I'll have Wakami send a car to drive us," L said, rising to his feet. The handcuffs tightened and Light was forced to follow him. He had decidedly given up on sleep for the night.

When they stepped outside, a car was parked out for them. Once in, L verified the details of their destination to their driver. Afterwards, he turned to Light and began to explain the reason for involving Misa in his investigation. The only reason for his incessant chatter, Light concluded, was because L didn't want Light to fall asleep on him. "You see," L continued, "I strongly believe that Misa knows this "unknown", whether she realizes it or not."

Light spoke up, "Why are you insistent on tracking this one caller?"

"This "unknown" is the serial murderer from earlier. I am 15 percent sure. No," L faced Light, "I am now 25 percent sure of it. And what is more, he is trying to contact the suspected Kira – and," L continued, cutting Light short from his word of denial, "Even if that is not the case, you cannot deny the fact that he is trying to come into contact with you, Light."

The car rolled through the city streets. Light leaned back, leaning his head against the corner of the window nearest his seat. He closed his eyes. As if dream had struck him suddenly, he imagined himself in an apple orchard, alone. What was he doing? That's right, he was eating apples. Red apples. As he dreamed, a plump, crisp apple fell from a branch. He imagined himself holding the apple in his hand, when the ground gave way, as if the ground had faded unexpectedly to air. His world spun as he fell back. He was falling…

There was a hand resting on his shoulder and L was shaken back to consciousness. "Are you okay?"

Raito tried to open his eyes. Though the lights in the car were dim, they gave him a blinding headache when he tried to focus. L was at his side, watching him, concerned. There was a weight on his forehead, Light realized. He lifted his hand and was surprised to touch a cool, damp cloth.

"You blacked out momentarily. Just rest a moment, Light-kun."

It was then Light noticed he wasn't leaning against the car window anymore like he last remembered, but was now on his back. His knees were bent so he could lie down properly, and soon he realized, he was lying in L's lap.

Aggravated and flushed, Raito pushed himself upright. The car doors were rolled down and the brisk, moving air disheveled his hair. It was embarrassing having to be seen this weak, but when he forced to sit forward he felt dizzy and hot, and L pressed a hand to his chest, urging him to lie back down. As if sensing Light's apprehension, L spoke to him, "It can be very dangerous to faint while sitting upright, so I moved you." He removed the wet cloth from his forehead and touched the back of his hand to his face. "You still feel cold."

"Let me up," Light insisted, but his voice sounded faint, "I feel fine."

"No. You think you're fine, but you're not. Lie down. We're still forty-minutes away from the Shizuoka. You can rest until then."

Light had no reason to fall asleep, so he thought. In fact, it was the last thing he wanted to do at that moment. He was fighting it, but slowly, lying in L's lap, he found himself comforted and drifted to sleep.

--

It was after four when L was tapping Light awake. "Here we are."

Light rubbed a palm against his temple. Despite going on an hour's night sleep, Light was surprised to find himself feeling wound up. It may had been his second wind kicking in, but Light felt well-awake for once and didn't question it. L dragged him out of the car and they headed into the front lobby of the Shizuoka.

The interior of the hotel was comfortable. There was lacquered, dark wood flooring and velvet lined furniture. A man working the early morning staff behind the main desks glanced in Light and L's direction when the two walked in. He stared at them momentarily, and Light wasn't surprised, for it couldn't be too often he saw two random guys walk in with handcuffs in the dead hours of dawn.

However before he could speak, a tall security man approached them. He must had been one of Misa's agents. "Miss Misa told me she would be expecting to see you, Yagami Raito."

Light nodded, "Yes. I'm afraid it concerns an urgent matter."

"Of course…if you would follow me upstairs," he turned to L, "And who are you, sir? I don't recall Miss Misa mentioning you."

"You must be mistaken," L confirmed, "For you see, Raito-kun is under twenty-four surveillance watch and must not leave my sight for any reason. I assure you, Misa is quite aware of all this."

"Let me verify that."

Shortly afterwards, Misa agreed to have both Light and L come into her room, though she was disheartened. When Light walked in to see her, her arms were crossed sourly. She stood, standing in a dark red corset, wearing matching panties. A see-through, pastel robe covered her loosely.

"I thought Misa and Light-kun would be _alone_," she dragged out, directing a hated glare towards L. "What's he doing here, pervert."

"I'm sorry Misa, it's regulation." Light stepped forward and raising his hand, clean from any chains, he caressed the back of neck and drew her into a gentle embrace. "It's not by my choice."

Misa closed her eyes and softened in Light's arm. "It's _his_ fault," she shot, sending another hardened look in L's direction.

"Why am I being victimized here?" L asked.

"Excuse-me, but if there is anyone being victimized here, that would be Misa's Raito."

L tucked his hands in his jeans, "Misa, I need to ask you, have you shared Light's cell number with anyone lately?"

"Why do you ask?"

"A curious factor has come up in an investigation case, and I need your help to solve this. Now, have you, or not?"

"Of course not! Misa gave that number to Light and Light alone. Misa would never share that number with anyone else."

"Interesting. Then let me ask you this. Have you allowed anyone to borrow your cell phone recently, who is aware of your relationship with Light?"

"Why do you ask?"

"Misa," Light spoke, "It seems there's a murderer who wants to come into contact with me. We don't know why, but we need your help in this case. Now, is there anyone you know of that might have gotten hold of that number?"

"Um…" Misa trailed off, glancing towards the ceiling, "Now that you mention it…there was this guy."

L narrowed their distance, intrigued. "Go on."

She tossed her hair to the side. "Uhg, I can't remember him now, but it was a couple days ago during my photo shoot, and when I was done, I bumped into this random guy there. We both dropped our cell phones and we grabbed the other's without realizing we had picked up the wrong phone! But, I don't think he could've checked my contacts that fast. I mean, only five seconds later, I realized I had the wrong phone."

"I see." L turned back, "I suppose that means the only option we have left is for you, Light-kun, to answer this "unknown" call. You're an exploitive talker, I know, so we shall put that to the test," he looked towards Light, "We should go."

"Go!" Misa shouted, "You woke me up three in the morning for that! Gees, I could've told you all that over the phone!"

"Necessary measures," the detective told her, "And setting up this meeting was, indeed, helpful. I found out the information I needed. Misa, you're informed of this matter for a reason. I want you to keep an eye out for this same guy in the future. Now that you're aware of who we're looking for, I believe your memory will be sharper for the next time you experience something unusual."

Misa shrugged and shook her head, "You might as well stay till morning. I can even order breakfast for us later."

"Another time, Misa," Light said, "We have to be back to meet with our team in the morning."

"No wait," L spoke up, "I don't see the harm in staying for a few hours, until after breakfast."

"What's that?" Light asked.

"Yes. And besides, I am getting a little tired."

Light glared. "Now you say you're tired."

"You must be tired too yourself, Light-kun."

"No, I feel all right –,"

"Which is why!" Misa said, grabbing onto Raito's sleeve, "Light-kun will be staying with Misa tonight!"

"Not unless you want me to stay here too." L tugged the handcuffs back.

Misa clenched her teeth and yanked Raito's sleeve. "Honestly! For four hours?! Misa's Raito won't be doing anything naughty during that time."

"…why doesn't that reassure me?"

"Cause he'll have Misa to watch over him!"

"And how exactly will you do that?"

Misa blushed profusely and grabbed the nearest object she could get her hands on, which happened to be a pillow. She slapped L over the head with it. "You pervert!" she shouted, flustered.

Light sighed. These two could go at it for hours. "Okay, hold on –,"

"What?" L began, "I only asked you –,"

"Misa doesn't need to here it twice!"

"Misa," Light cut in. "I'll be here to see you first thing in the morning, but for the sake of Ryuusaki's investigation, I'm going to have to do go with him."

The girl propped her hands against her hips. "Fine," she said, defeated. "But only because Light-kun agrees to go." She followed them out. "Misa's agent can take you to your room."

On their way out, Light turned back to her, "Thanks, Misa."

"Yes, thank you," L told her, as if an afterthought.

Misa gave a quick "humph" before closing the door. Her agent led L and Light a few rooms down hers. He said nothing to the two while he walked with them, or even after he left.

The room was dark when they entered and immediately, Light began to feel tired. L flicked the switch on of a desk lamp. A faded light cast around the room. Even L looked tired, though with those chronic dark circles under his eyes, he always did, so it was hard for Light to tell.

Light hadn't even realized how tired he had been himself, and he lied down across the comforter, not bothering to turn down the sheets. L, on the other hand, crawled into bed beside him, turning down his half of the sheets. Light was close to falling asleep when L spoke to him.

"I forgot, Light-kun, could you turn off the lamp?"

Raito grumbled. "Why can't you do it?"

"Because you're the closest."

Reluctant to move, Light lifted an arm beneath his chest and pushed himself forward. He turned off the lamp and collapsed back into bed.

"…Light-kun?"

"What is it now, Ryuusaki," Light demanded, still facing away from him.

"…it's nothing."

Light ignored him, and shortly later, he was asleep.

--

It was a while before L found he could sleep at all. Moments after he heard Light's soft breaths, knowing he was deeply sleeping, L sat up, leaning into the pillows against the baseboard behind him. He turned his head, watching Light. He was always calm and so peaceful when he slept. Awake, Raito always looked so calculative and cold, but at night, it all went away. In a sense, he reminded L much of himself.

Slowly, L lowered himself, gently crunching the bedding under him. He reached towards Light, hand hovering over his head, and quietly, he brushed Light's hair back. Light never broke a breath, never stirred, as L leaned in, and kissed him.

He smelled so sweet.

* * *

_A/N: …and the plot thickens. Oh, it hasn't even begun to get complicated yet, lol._

_I just wanted to thank my readers and give a big thanks to all my reviewers, __**bang on the head, Proudin**__, and __**Nightwing Gurl**__ for the wonderful comments! I love to read all reviews – the good and the bad, so please review! If you're a fanfic author, you know how exciting it is to receive reviews from your readers. :)_


	3. Deadly Delicacies

**Dark Delicacies**

Chapter Three: Deadly Delicacies

Light screamed. He was struggling against bonds he couldn't see. In a ring, the ground burned around him. He was kneeling in black fire, wrists spread and bound, chained to either side. The fire burned in a fierce intensity with an agony unlike Light could imagine, but what was worse, the fire was black, and even the light it gave off was black, so there was no telling when the torture would end. It was a fate worse than hell, burning in oblivion. Light threw himself forward, fighting against the binds, but he was slowly giving up, fading out the pain.

There was another beside him. The only light Raito could see was the red-lit glow from its eyes.

_"…Light…,"_ the voice grated like death and Raito drowned in the terror of it, _"…do you…remember?"_

It was still dark when Light woke up, stumbling out of bed. He banged one foot on the ground, catching himself short from falling. Glancing over at L, he settled back. The detective was still fast asleep. Light's chest was throbbing and he lifted a hand past his shoulder, rubbing the skin down his neck. He felt damp with sweat and longed to take a walk around, to shake himself off and relax, but with the handcuffs, that would be impossible without drawing attention from L. Steadily, Light eased himself back into bed. He closed his eyes, but after a nightmare like that, he didn't fall back to sleep anytime soon.

- - -

Sunlight spilled through the window. Weak rays shined down upon the room, broken and shaded by a passing cloud. A bright slant hit Light between the eyes. He winced, rousing awake. The sheets beneath him ruffled as he repositioned his shoulders. He rolled to his side, and was startled to find L already awake, sitting up in his usual manner, legs pulled close to his chest.

L watched him. Since the past week Light had been released from his prison cell, during which he was strongly suspected of being Kira, he had been having these night terrors every time he slept. L continued to study him, but Light held an impassive stare, and that impassive stare eventually turned into a fed up glare. His expression gave away nothing, but even the best actor couldn't fool L. "I see that you're up," L said.

Light strained his legs over the siding, turning his back to him and rubbed his eyes with his sleeve. "Yeah," he muttered in response.

"Did you sleep well?"

"All right," Light answered. "How long have you been awake?"

"Not long," L lied. "I was worried."

"What about?"

L strummed his fingers over his knee. "You do know," he said, "We are being followed."

"I know. I assumed it was the reason you wanted to stay here."

"True," L told him. "It is also the reason why I wanted to get away from the lab last night. I notified Watari on our way here and asked him to move the task force station to its new location. We were indeed followed here to the hotel, but at least the team and our information is hopefully secure now. There were cameras located outside the station, so I am hoping something was caught on film. I just contacted Mogi to have the rest of the team begin searching through the tapes before we arrive –,"

There was a knock at the door. Light raised his head. He rose to open the door, with L forced to follow behind. His head was still groggy and pounding. Ignoring the headache, he bit back his tongue, gripped hold of the handle and pulled aside the door…

"Light-kun!" Misa chirped and bounded forward, wrapping her arms behind her back. She lowered her head and smiled. "Good morning! And how did Misa's Raito sleep?"

"Fine," Light replied.

"Misa has breakfast set in my room," she looked past Light towards L and her bubbly composure faltered. "I suppose Misa has no choice but to invite you as well."

L returned her remark with a genuine smile and placed his hands into his jeans. "I hope there is cake."

"You can't be serious." Misa frowned as L walked past her.

"Serious? I happen to have devoted a good many of my meals towards the consumption of such sweets."

Misa called back to him, "It's only a matter of time before all those teeth fall out of your head!"

"Highly unlikely," L turned back to face her, "And believe it or not, I do have decent dental hygiene. Plus," L said, adding with slight amusement, "If it is true what they say that 'you are what you eat', then that must make me extra sweet."

Light found himself tempted to laugh at this. He hid his mouth behind the back of his hand, and it went unnoticed by the others. L was of course in all jests, joking, and only saying what came to mind to get the last word in with her.

Heat flaring in her cheeks, Misa threw her arms over her chest, "Are you implying something?"

Answering her, L replied, "All I am saying is that maybe if you were to eat cake, them you too could be as sweet as me."

Misa balled her hand into a fist. "That's it," she said, stepping forward, "Since that sugar hasn't rotted out all your teeth yet, then maybe I should help with that!"

Light cleared his throat and stepped between the two. "Misa, how about some breakfast?"

As if forgetting all wrangles she had with L, Misa dropped her hands to her side and wrapped an arm around Light's. "Yes, come!" she said, tugging him along.

It had been true when Misa had told them breakfast had been set in her room. When they entered, a long cart had already been rolled in. A white lace tablecloth decorated the entire set. The silverware was set with more than they could have possible eaten.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted," Misa explained, "So I had my agent order a little of everything."

L seemed content, and Light could see why. A bedside menu lay spread next to the cart. Misa picked it up. "Here we are," she said, "Um…it says we have here…blueberry pancakes with cinnamon maple syrup…and those are sugar waffles with berries and whipped cream…croissant french toast with soft caramel apples…banana muffins with – what is that? – mascarpone cream frosting?…," she continued down the list, "Yogurt with berries and granola, grapefruit, cream biscuits, scrambled eggs with smoked salmon…,"

"It's very European," L commented. He busied himself by grabbing several plates from the cart and settling at a near by table.

"You're welcome," Misa told him, half-heartedly. She stopped and laid aside the menu, "If you want something different, Light-kun, I can order something else."

"This is plenty," Light told her, "Thanks."

She smiled and reached forward, taking up a glass of orange mimosa between her fingers. She handed Light a similar glass. He nodded politely and took a sip.

"Where's the television remote?" L asked.

Misa set her untouched drink back on the cart. "Over on the bed, I think."

Light looked over his shoulder. "I got it," he said, tossing the remote to him. L caught it and switched on the power. By default, a news channel appeared on screen.

_"…Yukiko?"_ There was a pause. _"An apology to viewers. It seems we have lost audio reception from our onsite reporter…but please stay tuned. This is breaking news coverage from NHN –,"_

At that moment, a phone began to ring.

"I wonder what's happened," Misa said, still watching the news broadcast.

Startled, Light broke his eyes from the television screen to glance down, because the ringing he found, was coming from his cell. The caller's ID read "unknown".

Though L still remained seated, all his concentrations were now on Light. He raised a hand, silencing Misa. Her eyes widened and she quieted when she realized the two of them became unusually tense.

Light ran his nail over the keypad of his phone and snapped it open. He paused momentarily before speaking. "Hello?"

_"Raito, I'm about to send you a message…watch the news broadcast carefully and stay on this line."_

Light kept the phone held to his ear and focused his attentions on the television set. The news anchor sat quietly, his hand muffled over his ear to amplify any audio receptions. _"…Yukiko…a word from the station if you can hear us. Can you repeat the situation down there?"_

There was a static break in the broadcast.

_"This is Yukiko speaking…Hideaki…are you still there?"_

The cameras were now all on the onsite reporter.

_"Point the camera that way…yes. I'm not sure how well the shots are coming, but if you can see on my left, it was over there five people were found dead this morning. Reasons for deaths are still unknown. Police autopsy reports have yet to be released…wait a second…what?"_

L stood up and stepped closer to the screen. Misa covered her mouth, and her eyes widened in horror. Without warning, the reporter onsite shrieked and jumped back. The camera fell to her feet. The lens shattered, but the broadcast was still connected to the station. Light didn't flinch, but tightened his grip on the phone.

_"The man you see behind the camera is now dead."_

Light cursed. Whoever was responsible for these killings, was he proving he had the capability to kill without having to even see his victims? No. The man behind the camera could had been somehow heavily drugged, and just collapsed, just like those victims in the Wakayama case. But it had to have been more than that. The timing of his collapse had been too perfect, and this murderer knew it. He wanted to prove he could manipulate something as complex and widespread as a television station, as well as his victims to precision, though how he had either of those capabilities was beyond Light's reach. Whoever he was, this man was dangerous. He had to be stopped.

_"Tell me, Raito,"_ the man behind the phone spoke, _"Are you Kira?"_

"…tell me who this is."

_"Don't avoid the subject. Let me reiterate my last question. Now, as we speak, you have a poison running through your body. I've infected you with a dose of Compound 1080. In three days, you'll be dead. There is no antidote. Now listen carefully. I'll be waiting in the hill gardens of Tsukiyama twice a day, for exactly one hour. Once at midday, and once at midnight. I have genetically engineered an antidote. It took me years to develop such an antidote and even with all your resources, it would be impossible for you to recreate one similar to it in the next three days."_

"What do you want?"

_"I want to meet you, Kira. Believe me, the poison is excruciating, though you won't be feeling its effects for another three and a half hours. You have three days. I'm confident that you will be motivated to find me before then."_

"You've made a mistake," Light told him truthfully, "I'm not Ki –,"

_"And another thing. You keep out business a secret, and you come alone, or else, there will be consequences."_

"Wait –,"

But it was too late. The line disconnected.

Light pulled the phone slowly from his ear. He lowered his arm, then realized, he was still holding the drink Misa had handed to him. From what he knew of Compound 1080, it dissolved easily into liquids, leaving it tasteless. Realization hit him. Calmly, he closed the phone. The poison must had been stirred in both drinks, not just his. L was without a glass and Misa hadn't touched hers yet.

More importantly, they had a crucial lead. This unknown killer was somewhere close by.

"Light-kun?" L said, breaking Raito from his thoughts, "What did he tell you?"

"He killed that man behind the camera, and I suspect he's also responsible for those other five deaths we saw." He set the cell against the cart. "He's close by."

Misa exclaimed, "Could he be here at the Shizuoka?"

"Most likely."

"He told you all this?" L inquired skeptically.

Light stopped when he saw Misa reach down to pick up her glass. He strode towards her and grabbed her wrist. "Hold on." There had only been two drinks. He reached for his cell, knocking over her glass. It tipped off the cart, and in an attempt to catch it, he yanked L roughly back by the handcuffs to shake his balance, and more importantly, to catch L off guard from fully watching what he was about to do. He was about to stage an accident.

Light bent down, not too fast, but fast enough that he stumbled when the chain slackened behind him as L was pulled towards him. It forced Light to take one step too far, and he caught himself off balance, angling his hand against the floor. He dropped his own glass in the process. The two glasses shattered against each other, and as he fell forward, Light pressed his palm into the shards, slicing his own hand in the process.

Misa kneeled on the floor at his side. "Light-kun, you're bleeding…hold on! I'll get some bandages."

Light grimaced and lifted his hand. The alcohol and citrus burned immediately into his skin. When Misa returned, she set a first-aid kit down on the floor. "Let me rub some hydrogen peroxide on that…" she scrabbled for the bottle, but Light stopped her. "Thanks Misa, but I'll be fine. Let me clean this up under some water first…," he stood up, grabbing the bottle from her. L followed behind him and Light reeled back. "I'm just going to the bathroom," he raised his cuffed hand. "Can you remove these for a moment?"

L studied him skeptically. "This isn't a private matter. Why do you want to be alone?"

"Because it's a violation of protocol for you to say otherwise, and I do want to be alone."

L bowed his head. "Fine," he said, "But we have to follow regulated procedures, as always." He patted down and searched Raito, running his hands between the folds of his jacket and clothes. Reluctantly, L unlocked the handcuffs. "Remove your jacket."

Light did as he was told. The detective found nothing out of the ordinary, nothing to rouse suspicion, so he nodded approval. Steady on his feet, Light locked the door behind him.

He ran the sink water high under warm water and emptied out a few, heavy gurgles of the peroxide down the sink. It stung his injured hand, but that was the least of his worries. He held the nozzle of the bottle underneath the running water, flowing it over the top. The water turned hot and ran over his hand, but he didn't care. He threw his head back and downed the contents from the bottle. Light's chest suddenly heaved. He reached for the toilet. Bending over, he coughed, heaving the contents from his stomach. The fit left Light utterly exhausted, but his exhaustion was soon forgotten. The poison had probably already absorbed into his system. His attempt might have been too late. He kept the sink water running to drown out all other sounds. Breathing hard, Light wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve.

_Damn it_, Light thought. How could this have happened?

He had to figure out a plan before it killed him.

* * *

_A/N: Sodium monofluoroacetate, also known as Compound 1080, is in fact I real poison. I didn't make that one up. :) Truly, there is no antidote for it, and supposedly, drinking hydrogen peroxide with warm water does makes you throw up, though you should only try that if you've ingested something you shouldn't have._

_Again, thank you so much to all my reviewers, __**Nocturnal Smile, Serria, bang on the head, judi42, **__and__** Nightwing Gurl**__! As always, I love to hear from you all. Thank you __**Serria**__ for the awesome feedback. And thank you __**Nightwing Gurl**__ and __**bang on the head**__ for all your support!_


	4. Deceptive Delicacies

**Dark Delicacies**

Chapter Four: Deceptive Delicacies

* * *

_A/N: Seriously, thank you everyone so much for your reviews everyone! They really mean a whole lot! I hope you enjoy this next chapter. I'm sorry it's slightly shorter than my previous chapters. :)_

* * *

Back in the main room, it was quiet. L stared up at the ceiling, his brows creased in concentration. If what Light had told him was true, then they were all in trouble. He rested his hands into the pockets of his jeans. However, there was something about Light's information that seemed _misleading_. Certainly this killer would have never revealed so much over one call unless he was expecting something else in return. Did he want something from Light? There was something about his actions that seemed unusual since the call. L was worried. Whatever Light had told him, he hadn't told him everything he had heard.

In the meantime, L held Light's jacket tossed over his arm. A few moments passed and Light still hadn't returned, so casually, he reached down and began searching through the contents of the jacket.

Misa saw this from where she sat on the edge of her bed. She raised her neck, looking over the hotel employee currently stooped down cleaning up the broken glass between them. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Searching for suspecting evidence."

L flipped the jacket inside out, running his hands along any hidden pockets. He was relatively shocked when his fingers trailed across an open slit, and curious, he reached inside. It felt like a crimped, glossy slip of paper. Never had he noticed it before. He pulled it out and examined it.

It was a picture of a family – of Light's family. His sister, a baby, was in her mother's arms in the background. In the photo, Yagami Light couldn't be older than six. His father was standing on a rock coastline while Light sat over his shoulders. There was sea spray across the lens, casting blurry, misty circles across the photo. The boy was unmistakably him, with caramel hair and matching eyes, squinting as he smiled. In the picture, he laid his hands overtop his father's head, leaning forward. He stuck his face in the camera and grinned.

Misa stood forward. "Did you find anything?"

L placed the photo back where he found it. "No," he told her, "At the moment, I can do nothing else but hope to catch Light in the midst of his actions."

"It's almost like you want Light to be arrested," Misa glowered.

"Do not misunderstand me. In fact, I do not wish to catch Light at all, but as of now, he is my primary suspect. My options are very limited."

A door clicked open, and Light stepped out. His hand was now clean. He rubbed the back of his neck, and looked down.

L stuck his thumb between his teeth at this. Even if it had only been subconsciously, he had avoided eye contact with him. It raised his suspicions. "What is troubling you, Light-kun?"

Light snapped his eyes back at him. "Nothing," he replied coolly, "How do you expect me to come back knowing I'm your prisoner?"

"'Prisoner' is such a strong word. It's merely surveillance."

"Whatever you say, Ryuuzaki," Light said sarcastically. He turned his head away, throwing out his wrist. The handcuffs were back on. "I'm thirsty…is there some water anywhere I can drink?"

The employee had about finished cleaning at that point and looked his way. "I can bring some for you, sir."

"Can I have a water bottle," Light told him. Something brought to him sealed. He didn't want to take any chances from here on.

"Of course, sir."

L continued to survey Light, as if trying to break him down in order to admit something. Light hardened under his gaze and stepped back towards Misa. "When are we leaving?" he asked L.

"We have no reason to stay. As soon as possible would be best."

Light looked up. "What about Misa?"

Misa's eyes widened and glistened over at the mention of her name coming from Light. "You want Misa to come?"

L spoke up, "Light-kun, I don't advise –,"

"What are you doing today?" Light asked her. He didn't want to leave Misa alone. Not when a murderer like this could be close by. Regardless of the fact he had no feelings towards this girl, he wouldn't leave her behind for chance.

"Well, I do have a film shooting this afternoon in the city."

"I don't want you to be by yourself."

A faint blush flushed her cheeks. "I won't," she nodded, "Misa promises."

"Notify me if there's an emergency," Light told her, "I'll keep my phone on at all times."

L continued to watch the situation unfold out from Light. He was moving fast, taking the initiative. Something had definitely happened.

The employee from before came back, and Light took the bottle from him. He cracked the cap off and drank. The cool water moistened his throat. He coughed weakly and turned back to L. "Are you ready?"

L nodded. They said their short goodbyes and left. A car was waiting for them when they stepped outside. In Light's mind, their ride home was beginning to feel much longer. They had only been driving for ten minutes, but now, every second seemed to tick away from him. L crossed his ankles and bent forward. "I should call Watari to notify him of our arrival," L glanced over to see Light was staring out the window, "And I was thinking later, we could get some dinner again. It'll be my treat this time…" L said. He wasn't being all that serious, only testing to see if Light was listening. When no answer came, L snapped at him, "Light-kun!"

Light had been resting his bent fingers across his jaw. He pulled away and raised his head when L called to him, "I'm sorry, what?"

L settled back. "There is definitly something troubling you."

Light turned towards him. He was letting his emotions bleed through, and he had to hide them before L further suspected something else. Light forced himself to relax. He lowered his shoulders, "I was thinking of Misa," he lied. When you had less than three days to live, there was little else you could think of. And what was worse, if Light couldn't figure out a plan, he was going to literally spend the last hours of his life handcuffed to a sociopathic detective, whom he hated! He tilted his head back and leaned against his hand.

"I'm sorry if these constraints I've placed on you are taking a toll on your relationship."

"You're only doing your job."

L nodded, but he wasn't convinced Misa was the reason for Light's sudden unease. However, since Light had chosen her to cover-up the real reason, L went ahead and played along. "I've told you this before, but you know, I really could fall for her."

Light scoffed, "She's not your type."

"Does that make you jealous?"

"No. I only said she's not your type."

"And what do you know of my type is, Light-kun?"

Light thought for a moment. "I haven't considered before," he said, "But probably someone who is intelligent, clear-cut, detailed, uncompromising to social bounds, and possibly – because then you wouldn't allow yourself to ignore them – someone who is mysterious and conceited by nature. Yet at the same time, you would want them to appreciate you for your pride and good nature, despite all your faults. They'd have to have a balance."

"Interesting. In a way, you appear to be describing yourself, Light-kun."

Light reddened somewhat. "I didn't mean for it to come out that way." He shook his head, brushing off the coincidence. "I was only telling you my opinion since you asked."

"Okay," L answered fairly, "Now it's my turn."

"What?"

L placed a thumb to his bottom lip. "Unlike you, I _have_ thought to consider your type before. And to tell you the truth, I do not know what that is yet. Every woman I am aware of that you have met in the past, you seem detached and uninterested in furthering the relationship. Your classmate, for instance, Kiyomi Takada, and now Misa…why is that?"

Light leaned forward and rested his elbows across his knees. "They don't interest me in that way…but that doesn't mean I'm not capable of having a committed and steady relationship with them."

"I know. I was only stating a fact," L told him, "The fact that you are responsible and experienced with your previous relationships supports that you are quite capable. So why don't you? In ideological aspect, you have the ability to attract and charm almost any woman," he said, "Are you waiting for someone else to reach out to you?"

Light straightened his shoulders and leaned back in slight alarm. Since when did L become so knowledgeable about reading relationships? "I have other tasks to concern myself with," Light responded, "Like catching Kira, and now this case. Certainly, you of all people can understand that."

L inclined forward. "Why are you evading the question?"

A slight warmth rushed into Light's face. He pulled back.

"Come now," L spoke, setting a hand over Light's thigh. "What happened to those dozens of articulate words I'm so used hearing from you?" He leaned in closer. "This is so unlike you."

This was so unlike _him?!_ What game was _he_ playing at? Light flickered his eyes, the way one would do when trying to drink in every detail of a scene. His mouth wavered open. For once, he was at a loss as what to say. It was the second time L had managed to strip all resolve from him. The first had been when they were fighting…this time was different.

L's hand stirred steadily, trailing up Light's chest. His hand pressed forward, and Light was shoved against the car door. His breathing was slow, as if he was unsure of how to react.

With a faint smile tracing his lips, L tilted his head to the side. He leveled and locked eyes Light's. His eyes were so hard to read. They weren't dilated in any sort of attraction, nor constricted in any fear. Light simply read blank. Slowly, L leaned in. He waited for Light to react, but when he didn't, L brushed his own lips against his.

Light never flinched. It was like kissing the lips of a statue.

After some time, L exhaled and pulled away. He ruffled his black hair back, disheveling it further. Light blinked in shock before facing away, staring out the window. They finished the rest of the drive back in silence. Once home in the city, L began directing the driver to their new destination. They arrived in front of a complex building.

"Here we are," L said when they stepped out. He didn't attempt speaking anymore with Light.

They were walking up the steel steps of a hall. The sheet of glass panels to their left revealed a clear, open view of the city. The edge of each panel would catch a spoonful of light and flash in their vision as they continued their walk upstairs. Neither said a word to the other. Then all of a sudden, Light stood still. The chain snagged once L realized Light had stopped walking. L looked over his shoulder, dropping a gaze in his direction.

Light was standing behind him, one foot a step higher than the other. He had his hand wrapped around the iron railing nearest the glass panels. The sunlight caught in his hair, highlighting his caramel hair with shadows of chocolate streaks. He was looking directly at him.

"In the car," Light said, "What was that?"

L looked out across the cityscape. He couldn't give a decent answer for that which Light would accept, so he remained quiet. While he stared out in a faded daze, he was caught off guard when Light placed a hand against his shoulder, and realized too late to react as Light spun him around. He caught hold of L's other shoulder and pinned him against the railing of the stairwell.

"Ryuuzaki?" As Light spoke, he ran his hand down L's arms, interlocking his fingers into his own. In a polished movement, Light wrapped L's hands around the railing. He overlapped his own hands on top of his. The chain connecting the two of them clattered and clinked against the metal railing.

"Okay," Light began, mocking L from before. "Now it's my turn."

Light leaned in, turning his head slightly and crushed his lips against his. It might have been the astonishment from such a passionate kiss that parted L's lips, but Light took the advantage and slipped his tongue around his. He pulled back, and L was left breathless from shock.

The moment was short lived.

Suddenly, Light doubled over. His face was contorted in pain. L stepped forward, but Light pushed him blindly back. He glanced down hard at his watch. The three and a half hour mark had just passed. Sweating, Light closed his eyes, grimacing, and gripped his hair back. Agitated and confused, he stumbled back. The pain shot through him so sharp, it made him nauseated.

"Light, are you alright?"

Light looked at him with glazed eyes. His vision was blurring and he could hardly hear what L was asking him. The feeling in his legs went numb. The dizziness from before came back and suddenly, he found himself on his knees. L barely managed to catch him.


	5. Evasive Delicacies

**Dark Delicacies**

Chapter Five: Evasive Delicacies

Grasping hold of L's wrists, Light trembled, bent down on his knees. He felt so helpless, crippled, and he hated it. He hated _him_. Light kept his head lowered, strands of hair dropping over his face, gathered with sweat at the roots. His eyes turned to the ground, and Light looked past him, staring past the glass, but not comprehending the cityscape he saw. He clenched his fingers, digging his nails deep into L's skin. It must've hurt him, but L ignored it and remained where he was. The pain was starting to recede, but Light felt nauseated, and he knew it wasn't from the poison…

"I'll contact Watari. We can get you to a medical center."

"No, hold on. I'm fine." Light told him quietly. There were only two types of people in this world, Light found himself thinking. One was kind, high-minded and pure. The other kind pretended to look up while in fact despising. His mind drifted. Light was pulled to his feet and managed to hold his balance steady, despite the pressure of dizziness swaying him to fall.

"You're taking it well, but I wouldn't call suddenly collapsing as 'fine'," L said, "In fact, your actions have been rather unsteady lately."

_Not that unsteady, Ryuuzaki. _

Light was overcome with a cold feeling then, like coal tar. He bit his lip in anger. How could a man he hated so break him down like this? It was humiliating. He hated him. Hated that he made him feel this sickened.

Of all moments, Light's cellphone rang. He grabbed it, scanning over the ID.

_Damn it. Not this guy again. _

Light lifted the phone to his ear, but disconnected the line short, not wanting to talk.

L turned his head aside, though he still kept his eyes locked onto Light.

"Wrong number," Light said in defense. He turned back to L. "I'm sure Mogi and others would've found something unusual on those tapes by now."

"Yes," L concurred. He narrowed his eyes and tucked his hands in jeans and continued the walk towards meeting back up with the others. "You're rather desperate to find this killer."

"I don't want him on the streets anymore than you do. He needs to be stopped."

"Of course," L said, speaking. He eyed Light cautiously, but said nothing.

Once they reached the lab, Matsuda was first to greet them. As L and Light entered, he hurried towards them, addressing L promptly. "I'm glad you two are back. Did you hear about that lady, Yukiko? That reporter from NHN? Her camera man suddenly died right in front of her on live TV!"

"I know, we heard," L said.

"People are talking how this is the work of Kira. I don't know…do you think there could be another Kira out there?"

"Matsuda," Aizawa called. "Show them the pictures."

"Oh, right…take a look at these," Matsuda said, handing the stack of papers in his hands. There was a folder on top which L proceeded to open. He handed the rest of the stack to Light.

"Those images were captured last night between the hours of one AM and three," Aizawa informed, stepping towards them.

L studied the developed images. In total, there were four photos. Two of when he and Light left, and two of when they returned. Despite the blurry images, it was obvious that another was following behind. This follower stood a considerable distance away from the sidewalk, out of view from the cameras, so it wasn't evident this person supposed of shadowing them was even a suspect. Bearing in mind the time lapse from when the photos were shot, this man kept a fair distance away, L thought, possibly by a fourth a mile or more. The ground was level where L and Light had been, so this wouldn't have been too difficult a task if this person was experienced at what he did.

"Bring these images back up on the computer," L instructed, "Magnify them."

"Right away." Matsuda uploaded the requested images on screen.

L sat down, pulling his legs close to his chest. He bit his nail between his teeth. Pointing to the monitor, he said, "Do you see this?" Sitting next to him, Light leaned in. A street lamp cast the clear image of a shadow smeared alongside across the sidewalk. "Magnify the bottom left corner here..."

After three hours of other steady deductions, L continued to keep his knees pressed against the keyboard, still as focused as when he had begun. A small silver dish was balanced in his hand, topped with a half-eaten, frosted cake, decorated with a strawberry. L poked the center of the fruit and dragged it off the iced cake, deep in concentration.

Midday had already longed passed, and for the time, he and L were now alone. If Light wanted to act, he had to move quick. The poison worked slow, and Light was sure L would have noticed, but the detective kept a held fast attentiveness into the monitor.

Light felt uneasy. Another wave of extreme nausea was settling in, and he leaned back. The stand of his chair creaked back and Light heaved a sigh, breath hissing past his clenched teeth. He stroked his hand down his arm, scratching at his sleeve.

"Are you feeling all right, Light-kun?" L didn't break his eyes from the monitor.

"I'm tired, that's all."

"It's not that," L turned to face him now, "You're quiet."

Light brought his right hand around his other wrist. His heartbeat felt irregular. The symptoms were getting worse. "Can I have something to drink?" Light began steadily.

"Very well. What would you like?"

"Coffee will be fine."

"There is coffee right over on that table."

Light stood up and being forced to follow, L had no choice but to turn his back on his work.

In the corner of the room stood a round desk. A clutter of documents scoured the top, but sitting near the edge was a platter of coffee and sugar cubes Watari had brought in from earlier. Light reached down, wrapping his fingers around a teacup. The tin handle was cold and sensitive against his skin.

Since they were alone once again, L spoke up, "That was very sudden what you did earlier."

Light turned aside. Set across the near wall were drawers of file cabinets. He looked down, picked up the coffee pitcher and began pouring himself a cup. "I could say the same for you, Ryuuzaki."

L was studying him. "Why did you do it?"

Calmly, Light stepped towards the filing cabinets. He placed a hand deep into his left pocket, holding his cup of coffee in the other. "I wanted to see what you would do. You seemed surprised."

"It was something I hadn't been expecting. So it makes me wonder what led you to do it." It wasn't a question, but a demand.

"…I suppose it was to catch you off guard."

A click and snap against metal echoed across the room.

L rushed forward at the instant Light stepped back, but even as he did, L knew there was no meaning in making the effort. Allowing him to see a flicker of what was in his hand, Light turned a key around his finger, clamping the key into his fist. L was seething, seeing Light's wrists clean from any handcuffs.

It had been in the stairwell. It had been at that moment Light had stolen the key. L traced his eyes along the chain to see the opposite end of the cuff was now locked around the metal handle of the cabinets.

L had been a taken in and deceived. He was trapped. He stood a firm stance and raised his arm back, but nothing budged nor loosened. There would be no way out.

From the distance, Light watched him, accepting he had won.

"If this had happened under different circumstances, I would have presumed that you, Light-kun, were Kira himself, having reasons to resort to such tactics as this. But as you and I know, you have no additional information to kill me than you had before," L said. To spite himself, he chuckled, still horrorstruck at the thought of ever finding him, himself in such a situation, "I suppose betrayal is about learning not to idealize your external sources."

"No. I would never kill you. Kira has to be caught. We could still stop him together."

"In this current position, I highly believe there are not any chances for that," L answered.

Light watched him as he turned to leave, and L made no move futile effort to free himself. He knew for the moment, the detective had been brought to a stop. Light only hoped that time would be enough. He didn't know why, but before he closed the door, Light chose to glance back a last time.

His dark eyes were staring at him, as if he was watching his every move.

- - -

Once alone, Light made a grab for his cell, but a sudden, dull pain pounded in his arm and he flinched forward, grasping hold of a near wall. His lips were cracked and dried, and he coughed, finding it suddenly hard to breath as if the air were too heavy to fill his lungs. He reached for his cell again and began to dial.

_"Hello?"_

In a faded daze, he blearily wondered if L's preventive tapping hampering still worked. For what he was about to do, he hoped to God it still did.

"Sayu…this is Light."

_"Light?"_ she sounded relatively shocked, and Light could not be surprised. Being involved with the Japanese Task Force had cut him off all ties with his family, except perhaps his father.

"Don't tell dad about this call. No matter what you might hear about me, don't tell anyone I've just contacted you."

_"I won't Light…you sound awful. Are you okay?"_

"I'll be fine," he said, keeping his voice low. Light checked his watch. It would be four o'clock soon. That gave him eight hours until midnight. "Listen. Make sure all the windows and doors are locked tonight…don't open for anyone, and make sure mom doesn't either."

_"Okay. Light, what's happening?"_

"Don't worry about it. I just need you and mom to stay in the house tonight. I suspect dad won't be home tonight either, so don't open the door for any one of us."

_"…I understand."_

Sayu was one to keep her word. He trusted it would be enough. He closed the call and stepped outside.

A call came in from his phone then and Light answered.

_"You didn't want to speak to me earlier? I thought considering the circumstances, you might be eager to hear what I had to say."_

"You're bothering me. If you want to play it that way, give me a number so I can contact you, or shut up."

_"A tad touchy, aren't we?"_

"You have my attention at the moment, so tell me what it is you want."

_"There is something else I want to know beforehand, in case we do meet tonight,"_ the other said. He stopped speaking. _"How will I know it is you?"_

"You already know who I am. I'm the one who has everything to lose. I am the one risking my trust in you to show myself."

_"No,"_ he said. _"How will I know this is Kira?"_

"I thought you already knew."

_"Not good enough."_

As Light spoke, he was constantly on the move. He was forced to stop before red cross light. People crowded around him, waiting to cross. "I'll prove it."

_"Better…,"_ his voice trailed thin. _"How?"_

"Tonight at midnight. I'll show you."

Smothered in the center, Light began suffocating. He rested a hand against his head, feeling dizzy. The cross light changed. From the wave of the crowd, Light was pushed. He allowed himself to be led blindly forward. "When we meet tonight," Light said, "I expect this antidote to be with you."

_"What would be the point in smoking you out to meet like this, only to have you run away once I've handed over such a precious thing?"_

"You have me curious, so I wouldn't run. But I take it my word won't be good enough."

_"That's right. Now,"_ the other stated, _"Let me confer with you this hypothetical situation: What if this antidote no longer becomes an adequate bait?"_

Was he bluffing?

"We're not talking about a hypothetical situation," Light said, aggravated. "This isn't theoretical – this is real. If you have this delusion I don't value my life, you're wrong."

_"But does Kira value the lives of others?"_

Light had been afraid of this. He humored whoever was on the ending line and decided he would take on the alias of Kira, if only to get his future points across – if he even had a future after this was done. "Kira murders only those who are unjust and defy his regime, but it's in their deaths that remains the value in the lives of the others that Kira has vowed to protect," Light told him. "Those are the lives that Kira values."

_"So you don't value the lives of your enemies, or those who stand in your way,"_ the other stated.

"No." If Light hadn't been holding up such a desperate fight against this murderer, he might have surprised himself with how natural those words came. All Light hoped was to deal himself out of blackmail. "There is value in every life, but there are still those who must be judged."

"_You ought to reevaluate those lives sometimes…maybe all one can do is hope to end up with the right regrets."_

At first Light thought this had all been a game of crazed idolization based on the sole source of meeting Kira. No. Was this a game of revenge? Great, Light thought. For all he knew, he could be walking straight into a trap, and his choices were limited.

He found himself achingly thirsty then.

"You said you have an antidote," Light said.

"_Yes."_

"How do I know you aren't bluffing?"

"_Good question. You could choose to die in less than three days, or find out tonight. So which will it be?"_

Light had been plotting this out for the all the hours he had been stuck with L with the rest of the task force unit. He had an idea.

Now all he had to do was kill time till midnight.

* * *

_A/N: I just wanted to say, thank you so much for all the reviews and support! However, with final exams, graduation, my summer job, and these much-being-anticipated rock concerts coming up, the next few chapters will not be updated as fast as they have been. I just wanted to give everyone the forewarning. :)_

_This is when the story really gets exciting, so I'll try to update soon!_


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